Australian singles chart:
Black Water entered the Kent Music Report on 17 March 1975 and peaked at #22.
Album:
The song is on What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits which entered the Kent Music Report album chart on 8 April 1974 and peaked at #24.
Songwriter:
Patrick Simmons
Producer:
Ted Templeman
Record label of Australian release:
Warner Bros
Songfacts:
Patrick Simmons, who is the group’s guitarist, wrote Black Water and sang lead. It has the Louisiana swamp rock feel of earlier Doobie Brothers songs like Toulouse Street and Black Eyed Cajun Woman.
The song is about the Mississippi River, with lyrics likely inspired by Mark Twain’s books Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer, which tell stories about rafting down the river.
Read more: www.songfacts.com/facts/the-doobie-brothers/black-water
Lyrics:
Well, I built me a raft, and she′s ready for floating
Old Mississippi, she’s calling my name
Catfish are jumping, that paddle wheel thumping
Black water keep rolling on past just the same
Old black water, keep on rolling
Mississippi moon, won′t you keep on shining on me?
Click for full lyrics
This song is also on our Spotify playlist Bang a Gong – the 70s
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